Australian Workers Union NSW vice-president Matt Thistlewaite, who was among the hundreds who attended a protest meeting about the rock star's recruitment this week, also declared he would not run and said he did not believe anyone else would.

''I think sometimes you've got to put personal ambition behind what is good for the country and what is good for the party.

''And in this case the leaders' recruitment of Garrett will be a positive thing and he will be successful.''

Labor leader Mark Latham told the ALP state conference in Queensland today Mr Garrett had been recruited to help paint Labor as more of a political movement than a party.

''He's got the passion and conviction of a Labor person - someone who has spent his adult life advancing progressive causes and progressive ideas,'' Mr Latham said.

Meanwhile, the founder of the Nuclear Disarmament Party Dr Michael Denborough today accused Mr Garrett of branch-stacking his way into the top spot for the defunct party's Senate ticket 20 years ago.

''I had the top spot and when Peter saw how much interest the Nuclear Disarmament Party was receiving and decided to run, he wanted to be number one so he stacked the branch with Socialist Workers Party Trotskyites and got what he wanted,'' Dr Denborough told The Canberra Times.

A spokesman for Mr Garrett said he was democratically elected to the position and no one had voiced concerns at the time.

Labor challengers for Kingsford Smith have until June 17 to nominate, but if no nominations are received, Mr Garrett will be declared the ALP candidate.

If there are challengers, Labor's national executive will vote on June 21.